Vulcanizer



L e d o M 0 N G. B. SNOW.

VULCANIZER.

No. 357,639. Patented Feb; 15,1887.

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GEORGE B. SNOWV, OF BUFFALO, NEYV YORK.

VULCANIZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,639, dated February 15, 1887.

' I Application filed August 27, 1886. Serial No. 212,015. (No modeLl To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. Snow, of the city of Bu tfalo,in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Vulcanizer, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which is a vertical central section of the vulcanizer.

This invention relates to that class of vulcanizers in which the article to be vulcanized is placed in a chamber,which during the process of vulcanization is filled with steam from a steam-boiler connected therewith. Its object is the arrangement of the parts in such relation to one another as toinsure sufficientheat being imparted to the vulcanizing-chamber directly to insure its constant dryness, whileits temperature cannot, on the other hand, be but slightly raised above that of the steam-boiler whic supplies it with steam.

It consists in placing the vulcanizing-cham- Y berinside thesteam'chamber or boiler,making the latter an annulus, so that the bottom of the vulcanizing-chamber and the bottom of the boiler shall form one continuous surface externally and each shall receive its part of the heat from one flame, as will hereinafter be more fully described.

Referring to the drawing, A represents the vulcanizingchamber and its walls, with an external annular flange, a, near the top. The chamber is closed by the lid B, which is packed so as to he steam-tightwhen closed. The fastening ofthelid Bis shown asasimplescrew; but it may be secured by bolts and nuts, or in any other way preferred. If the bottom of the chamber A is fiat and of equal diameter with the chamber, it will expose too much surface to the flame and will become overheated. I therefore make it in the shape of a truncated cone, 0, and I am thus enabled to convey just that proportion of heat to the vulcanizing-chamber which will insure its dryness without raising its temperature more than a few degrees above that of the surrounding steam-chamber.

The shell D is shown encircling the chamber A, its upper edge fitting the flange a. A short boss, 0, on the bottom of the chamber A fits a hole in the bottom of the shell D, so that there will be joints between the two parts at a and 0. These joints should be turned to a close fit and brazed or soldered. The vulcanizer-body will then be substantially one piece, as the two parts will thereafter be inseparable.

Communication between the two chambers is made by means of the valve V, and steam is therebyadmittedtot-hechamberAwhenitisdesired to vulcanize any article contained therein. A steam-gage, S, is shown as attached to the fiangea for the purpose of indicating the steampressurein the boiler-space d. The usual thermometer may be used instead; but the steamgageis to bepreferred. A blow-offcoclglnsurmounts the cover B. A safety-valve and suitable means for supplying water occasionally to the boiler are necessary, but are not shown, as their application is familiar to all mechanics.

The vulcanizer issupported by ajacket, J, at a suitable height to allow of the introduction of a lamp or gas-burner beneath it. In using this vulcanizer, the outer chamber or boiler-space, d, is half-filled with water,and closed so as to be steam-tight. The valveVis closed, and a lamp or gas-burner is placed be-- neath the vulcanizer,which is .thereby heated until the steam gage indicates the proper steam-pressure,which will be from sixty to one hundred pounds to the inch. The flask containing the rubber is placed in the chamber A,

which is closed,by screwing on the cover B.

The valve V is then opened and the chamber A filled with steam. Any condensation from the sides of the flask or the coverB drops to the bottom 0 of the chamberA, which, receiving heat directly from the flame with the boiler, willre-evaporatethe condensation. Thechamber A will therefore be filled with dry steam, and the rubber, when properly Vulcanized therein, will be strong, elastic, and of goodcolor. It will not be overheated, for as soon as the space 0 is sensibly higher in temperature than the surrounding parts conduction sets in, and the heat is carried off to and absorbed by the surrounding water W in the boiler-space d.

The time required to properly vulcanize rubber in this vulcanizer will be from one to three hours, according to its quality and the temperature and pressure of the steam. At the expiration of the time the valve V is closed the steam is let off from the vulcanizing-chamher by means of the blow-off cock b and the cover B removed. The flask can then be taken from the vulcanizer and other ones put in without allowing the vulcanizer to cool, the cover Bbeing immediatelyreplaced and steam turned bottom of the vulcanizingchamber projecting on by means of the valve V,When the vulcanthrough the bottom of the steam-chamber and izing process will be immediately resumed.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a vulcanizing-chamher and an external concentric steam-generati'ng chamber having one continuous surface at the bottom,so that each chamber will receive its quota of heat from one common flame,substantially as described. 2. The combination of a vulcanizing-chamher and an enveloping steam-chamber, the

forming one continuous external surface with 15 it, substantially as described.

3. The vulcanizing-chamber A,with its conical bottom 0, forming part of the bottom of the steamgenerating vessel D, substantially as described.

GEORGE E. SNOW.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM GRAM, J12, CHAS. O. ROTHER. 

